RIGA GALLERY presents solo exhibition of Henrihs Vorkals “It’s Andy Warhol!”, which can be attended from 6th till 1st of October. Underneath this provocative title one can find artist’s love and interest towards Andy Warhol.
In 1980th there was a telecast with a title “It’s Andy Warhol” on television in USA leaded by Andy Warhol himself. The solo exhibition of Henrihs Vorkals at Riga Gallery is supposed to be as a continuation of what Andy Warhol talked about in his telecast. In the exhibition there will be exhibited approximately 20 new artist’s works, made in pastel technique, where Henrihs Vorkals continues to use himself characteristic manner and means of expression, which are close to popart aesthetics as well.


Already since the 1960s the artist’s ideas and works were significantly influenced by American popular culture. Although he has never been in USA, these impulses came via such American Pop artists as Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg, spiritually close to Vorkals. He is attracted by irony shown in their interpretations of subjects related to American political and social issues.
Artist opposes different times of art beginning from Renessance to Popart by using similar artistic expressions of means as Andy Warhol did – serie of images, which stand in original way side by side with golden section, popular method in Renessance; motives, which go from one work to another. Henrihs Vorkals uses wide known elements (Cambell’s tinned food, Coca Cola, electric chair, USA dollar note etc.) and characters (Mick Jagger, Merilin Monroe etc.), which have become as an icon of their age, largely because of Andy Warhol.


Henrihs Vorkals has taken up also Mick Jagger, star and legend of the Rolling Stones group. His individuality and image has been personally and intellectually fascinating for Vorkals already since the early 1960s when both started their professional careers in different fields of expression. The artist thinks that Jagger’s as well as Warhol’s creative activities reveals an entire epoch not just in the American history but in the world history at large.


Vorkals also continues to quote and interpret works by French masters of painting.
The picture “Impression. Sunrise” by Clode Monet, which can be considered as the beginning of impressionism and following 20th century modernism tendencies in art, in the exhibition can be seen in five interpretations, made from reproduction of original. In the process of making these interpretations Henrihs Vorkals uses his “eternal theme” [H. Vorkals] – golden section, which serves for him both as a technical key to decodate the genius art piece and philosophical metaphor.
In the exhibition there can also be seen interpretations of works by Vincent van Gogh, whithin Henrihs Vorkals developes constantly urgent issue – the value of art and market, what obtains in all direct meaning in the context of van Gogh.


Henrihs Vorkals has participated in significant group exhibitions in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe:
International Graphics Biennial in Königsberg (2000)
International Poster Biennial in Warsaw (2002)
Henrihs Vorkals solo exhibitions:
Exhibitions in Riga Gallery (1993, 1999)
“Pop Art is Dead” (2001, together with Juris Putrāms and Vilnis Putrāms)
“Born in America” (2003) that was awarded with the Prize of the Year 2003 in the nomination “Solo exhibition at a gallery in Latvia”.


The art works of Henrihs Vorkals are located in such collections: Latvian National Museum of Art (previous title – State Museum of Art) , Riga / Latvia; Artists’ Union of Latvia Art Collection, Riga / Latvia; Museum of Applied Art, Riga / Latvia; State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow / Russia; Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New York / USA.